A Twisted Mule Brings Craft Cocktails on Tap to Twisted Root

Chef and founder of Twisted Root Burger Co., Jason Boso, has concocted a new craft cocktail for his restaurants that taps into a slowly emerging trend around the country.

Boso worked with bar man Jason Kosmas to develop a drink called the Twisted Mule, which is a combo-play on an Arnold Palmer and Moscow Mule. Kosmas used his own Aylesbury Duck Vodka from his recently launched 86 Company, along with a from-scratch tea syrup, ginger beer and fresh lemon. But, the kicker is that it's served on tap, like beer.

"I've always questioned how equipment can make a restaurant more consistent," explained Boso. "And that's exactly what we're doing. Now anyone can get a really good craft drink, made consistently, balanced, in exact proportions and poured perfectly every time."

But, mechanization has it's place, right?

"Yes, of course. There's really no sexiness to it," Boso said, "like some bars that have draft wine. Well, I still like a bottle and a cork. To me there's sexiness to that. This is better for cocktails, but it's not sexy."

Kosmas agrees that it only works for certain types of drinks and stresses that a good drink is still only derived from good ingredients, adding "The whole idea is that it's fun and easy."

Craft cocktails are starting to pop up on tap at different bars across the nation. A story on the Huffington Post reported how customers at a bar "preferred the five-day-old margaritas tapped from kegs versus the made-fresh versions. The kegs offer more time for the flavors to blend, which could even be an advantage over cocktails a la minute."

Batches of Twisted Mule are made in-house and put in a keg, where the pressure keeps the ingredients mixed. Right now the Twisted Mule is available at the Twisted Root on SMU Boulevard, but will soon roll out to all the other franchises.